Iran says ceasefire will factor into decision to hit back at Israel

Tehran reserves the right to react to last month’s airstrikes on Iran, but it also considers other developments in the region such as the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says in Lisbon.

He tells reporters Tehran welcomes yesterday’s agreement halting hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a global terror organization controlled and funded by Iran.

He says he hopes it leads to a permanent ceasefire, despite Tehran’s official position of seeking Israel’s destruction.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to respond after Israel carried out sorties on the country’s military facilities on October 26 in retaliation for a barrage of hundreds of ballistic missiles lobbed by Tehran at Israel on October 1.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah tells broadcaster Al-Jadeed the terror group retains the right to defend itself if Israel attacks.

Earlier, Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iraqi group backed by Iran, said it would not be bound by the agreement and would continue attacking Israel.